Activation of the addiction committee

The Drug Addiction Committee outlined in the Lebanese drug law, responsible for supervising court-mandated treatment, remained inactive from 1998 to 2013, trapping people who use drugs in a cycle of legal prosecution and incarceration. From 2009 to 2013 alone, this problem affected 11,443 people who were arrested for drug offenses. Through strategic litigation and public discourse, Skoun and Legal Agenda’s bid to uphold articles 127 and 194 in the Lebanese drug law stipulating “treatment as an alternative to prosecution” was met with success when The Ministry of Justice decreed the Addiction Committee to commence referring people to support services instead of prison time and a criminal record, signifying a clear shift in the Lebanese Judiciary.

Arrested for Drug Use?
Click here to download our step-by-step guide on everything you need to know. For any more information or questions, you can contact us on legaladvice@skoun.org